What were the principal causes of the First World War?
… of political and diplomatic proceedings, especially decisions regarding the July Crisis of 1914.1 Nevertheless a single reason cannot be identified, nor would sufficiently explain the conflict characterised as the ‘war to end all wars’. Indeed, in the words of AJP Taylor, it seems in the consideration of the causes of the First World War, ‘it is no good asking ‘What factors caused the outbreak of war?’. The question is rather ‘Why did the factors that long preserved the peace of Europe fail to do so in 1914’ ‘2 Be that as it may, scholars have pointed to the widespread application ‘old diplomacy’3 and the system of alliances between states as a means of security in the face of conflict. Moreover the period saw an upsurge in the widespread call for self determination and insurgent nationalism, unsurprising in this age of empires and dynasties, of minority ruling elites controlling vast amounts …
